the state Supreme Court threw out a death sentence for Cecil Davis

the state Supreme Court threw out a death sentence for Cecil Davis, saying the shackles he was forced to wear in court could have influenced jurors. 
He is accused of the Jan. 25, 1997 rape and murder of a 65-year-old woman, Yoshiko Couch.
In an 8-1 decision, justices upheld Cecil Davis' aggravated-murder conviction even though at least one juror spotted his concealed shackles, finding that there was "overwhelming evidence" that Davis killed Yoshiko Couch.
But they ruled that the leg restraints could have affected Davis' sentence because jurors are asked to consider how dangerous defendants are when deciding whether they should serve life in prison or be executed.
Pierce County Prosecutor Gerald Horne must now decide whether to ask a new jury to sentence Davis to death or let him spend the rest of his life behind bars.